New Delhi, Feb. 12 -- A handful of students (two boys and four girls from the Arts and Science stream of higher education) have undertaken a yatra on foot to sensitise the people on the ill implications of the sale of votes. Tamil Nadu is a breeder of many unlawful electoral practices done by the political parties, as explained by one of the Election Commissioners of India in his book, and it becomes a menace to the Democratic governance and Development administration in India and more specifically Tamil Nadu. No political party is taking it as an issue in the electoral campaign. All political parties, irrespective of their ideology (left, right, centre), keep quiet on this issue, barring Nam Tamizhar Katchi. Instead, they advise that when the rich political parties give money, get it and vote for us. In such a way, a political campaign is going on. Such a political culture has been developed by the political parties without any shame. It is being realised by many, and yet they are not acting. Because politics is becoming increasingly violent day by day. People share their views and opinions and forward the same to all through their WhatsApp groups. Beyond that, nothing will be done by them.
It is the middle-class apathy in action. But these six students have started their electoral cleansing work during the previous Lok Sabha election in a village in Erode district in Tamil Nadu. By staying in the village for the entire election period, they approached the voters and convinced them that it was a slur on their family pride. They have faced several challenges in convincing them, and finally, they succeeded. It was a big victory for them. It was celebrated in the village with the participation of public intellectuals. It was a morale buster for them. Having achieved this success, they have planned to make a trip on foot to Vedaranyam, a place where the Salt Satyagraha took place. It was a 400-kilometre marathon walk, starting from Coimbatore (Pothanur - where Gandhi stayed) to Vadaranyam. During the marathon walk, they meet people in different locations and interact with people about the role of citizens in exercising their rightful responsibilities in exercising their franchise.
In two places, I was invited by them for a discussion. While I discussed with them, I found that these students have high moral integrity and impeccable commitment to bringing social and political transformation. When I asked them a question about the impact they want to create in society, they replied cryptically that they are not expecting immediate change in the attitude of the people, and what they are expecting through this yatra is that they will find out good people, specifically the youth, to do this exercise in every village and in every town. This menace of bribing voters cannot be stopped by mere one-time preaching. It has to be done through a new consciousness and sensitivity created by continuous interaction with people by shaking their conscience, which they have done in the village. Nine times, they have visited every house in their village to change the attitude and perception of the people.
When 40 million students are in higher learning institutions in India today, what made these six students take this step to ponder over this menace and act continuously lingered in my mind. I asked the question straight to them. They said that they got an ethical education from a group of social activists, which made them socially conscious. In this regard, I asked yet another question: what education are you getting from the mainstream educational institution? They informed that it is meant for livelihood, employment, and not for leading a meaningful, responsible social life. What other transformation do you get out of it? They said that our inner foundations are strengthened through this process. Throughout this marathon walk, they said that they find people with social consciousness, but they are individuals, and they are ready to support any good, positive activity that is good for society. If they are united and make it a social movement, it is possible to transform society, through which politics can be reformed. They said that with this hope, they are doing this work. For the 450 k.m walk from Gopichettipalayam to Chennai, it is the community that provided food, shelter, and throughout their walk, many in the local areas joined for a few kilometres. They got unfathomable help from different individuals. When they reached Chennai, the wrap-up programme was organised by a social movement called Nallore Vattam. A few kilometres away, the members of Nallore Vattam received them and joined with them, and reflected on the experience they had during the yatra.
It is a tragedy that the mainstream media, in the hands of the political parties, have not paid any attention to this. But social media made it a trend. From their experience, it is inferred that instead of preaching, by working with people continuously, an ethical society can be created through which a new politics can be created that is people politics, and it is development politics.
Views expressed are personal. The writer is a former Professor and Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayati Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.